Curfew enforced in Ladakh after statehood protests turn deadly

A curfew has been imposed in Leh, the capital of Ladakh, after violent clashes between security forces and protesters demanding statehood left at least four people dead and dozens injured.

According to a BBC report, Wednesday's unrest saw an office of India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) set ablaze, alongside attacks on police vehicles. The violence marked the most serious incident in the Himalayan territory in decades.

India's federal home ministry blamed well-known activist Sonam Wangchuk for "fomenting violence," though he has strongly denied the allegation. 

"He continued with the hunger strike and misleading the people through provocative mention of Arab Spring-style protest and references to Gen-Z protests in Nepal," the ministry said in a statement.

It added that protesters "attacked the BJP's local office, set fire to the building and torched a police vehicle, injuring at least 30 police personnel". Police said they fired live rounds and tear gas in response, leaving several critically injured, four of whom later died.

"In self-defence, police had to resort to firing in which unfortunately some casualties are reported," the statement said.

Mr Wangchuk, who began a hunger strike on 12 September, called off his protest after the incident, urging restraint. "Violence only damages our cause," he said, stressing that he had no role in the clashes. He blamed "growing frustration among young people," citing high unemployment as a key driver.

"There was a general feeling that the federal government was not hearing our voices… [But] we had no idea that it would turn out like this," said Padma Stanzin, one of the organisers of the hunger strike.

Chhering Dorje Lakrook, president of the Ladakh Buddhist Association, echoed this frustration, stating: "The youth of Ladakh are against violence. But they are deeply frustrated because the government has been delaying the dialogue process repeatedly and unemployment is soaring in the region."

He added that the decision to push back the next round of talks despite ongoing hunger strikes "particularly made them angry".

Ladakh, a sparsely populated region of around 300,000 people, was carved out of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in 2019, when the BJP government revoked the area's semi-autonomous status and imposed direct federal rule.

Historically, the Buddhist-majority Leh region had campaigned for separation, while the Muslim-majority Kargil district wanted integration with Jammu and Kashmir. Since 2019, however, both communities have united in demanding statehood, local job and land protections, and greater political autonomy.

Mr Wangchuk, a prominent engineer and climate activist, has been at the forefront of this campaign, accusing the government of failing to fulfil promises of empowering locals. Many residents fear that the loss of special status has opened the region to external economic interests, weakening their control over land, culture and resources.

The home ministry, however, maintains that its talks with local leaders have achieved "phenomenal results," accusing "certain politically-motivated individuals" of undermining progress.

Ladakh's federally appointed Lieutenant Governor, Kavinder Gupta, said an investigation into the clashes had been launched. "For the past two days, attempts have been made to incite people, and the protest held here was compared to those held in Bangladesh and Nepal. This smells of a conspiracy," he alleged.

Fresh talks between protesters and officials are scheduled for Thursday and Friday, while a federal committee is expected to meet Ladakhi leaders on 6 October.

Ladakh also remains a strategically sensitive region, sharing borders with both Pakistan and China. In 2020, deadly clashes in the Galwan Valley between Indian and Chinese troops claimed the lives of at least 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers.